Yarn twist-detecting and arresting device



April 21, 1953 HAYS 2,635,831

YARN TWIST-DETECTING AND ARRESTING DEVICE Filed July 9, 1949 JNVEN TOR. HUGH E. HAYS ATTORNE X Patented Apr. 21, 1953 YARN TWIST-DETECTING AND ARRESTING DEVICE Hugh E. Hays, Parkersburg, W. Va., assignor to American .Viscose Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application July 9, 1949, Serial No. 103,932

7 Claims. (owns-12s) This invention relates to winding machines and particularly to devices for arresting strand being withdrawn from packages wound or twisted in the opposite direction of that desired.

In rewinding annularly wound packages, either 2 or s twist is normally required according to the process or operation to which the strand is subjected after leaving the package which is being unwound. Each cake is presumably visually inspected by an operator before it is placed on an unwinding platform or holder, but unless considerable alertness is exercised, strand of the wrong twist is passed to a collecting or processing apparatus.

On account of the necessity for manufacturers to make yarns having z or .S in accordance with customer preference, it is generally necessary in a single plant to carry on simultaneously the production of oppositelytwisted yarns. Consequently, considerable care must be observed in the segregation of vast numbers of packages of the yarn and to prevent mixtures thereof when the same equipment is used to produce both types.

.It is a principal object of the invention to provide an apparatus for preventing the withdrawal of strand from .a woundstrand package which is twisted oppositely to the direction desired. It is another object to provide a simple strand-arresting device which may be readily mounted on any type of textile unwinding equipment. It is also an object of the invention to provide apparatus which functions normally as a strand guide but operates as atrapfor the strand and prevents withdrawal when the direction of winding of the package being unwound corresponds to an improper direction of twist.

These objects and othersancillary thereto are accomplished by apparatus having a member which traps the strand while it undergoes rotary motion in a manner to form a balloon. In the preferred embodiment, the member is contacted by strand traveling rotatively about the periphery of the balloon formed over a package being unwound. The member is provided with a pair of. converging surfaces which join at a small angle, each of which extend to a point outside and inside, respectively, of the surface of revolution generated by the strand in the balloon to form a trap which catches or grips the strand when the direction of revolutionof the strand passing through the balloon is opposite to that desired. 1 i T In the drawings illustrating theinvention -Fig. 1 is a pictorial view in elevationillustrats ing the invention withrelation to a withdrawing device and a strand package being unwound;

Fig.3; and 1 i H 10 Fig. 5 is a pictorial View of amodified apparatus. i

Referring. now to Figs. 1 and 2 in detail, a strand 6 is illustrated as being withdrawn from the exterior surface of an nnular package 8 over an elongatenguide surface ill of a'guide 9,

the surface lfl"being centrally and transversely over the package 8. l The package 8 is supported upon any suitable support. such as the platform or stand [2. The strand fi after passing overthe guide surface It is collectedlupon a reel I4 or other strand-collecting device. The reel I4 may be driven by. means (notshown) to operat as take-up means for. the strand or, if desired, independent take-up. means may be mounted between the guide 9 and the reel I4. The guide has an arm [3 of which the iendyportion is threaded and secured in pivotablyadjustable relationship to a frame! 5 by nuts l3a; r

The strand being withdrawn from the package 8 forms a balloon as it passes to the surface ID. The balloon, however, willnot have a perfectly annular contour when a guide such as the one shown in Figs. 1 to 4 is used since the elongate guide surface permits cyclical lateralmovement longitudinally of theguide surface ll], each cycle of such movement corresponding to a winding removed from the cake or package. During such a cycle, the yarn swings away from the surface It as when the strand ,is in the position within the balloon shown in full line in Fig. 2. However, in the opposite portion of the cycle wherein the strand follows the dotted line Gaof Fig. 2, the strand rides along the edge I! of the guide member 9.. An element I8 is pivotably attached to the surface [6 by means such as a bolt and nut 20 so that it may be rotated through a range of 180 degrees and positioned to trap the strand in accordance with the direction in which the windings of the package 8 are unwound. So that the element l8 may be secured in one direction or other a spring catch joint is provided compris ing a pin 22 secured to the surface of the element [8 facing the surface I B-fitting within either one or the apertures ordepressions 24 provided in the surface 16 corresponding to the position of element. l 8 desired. a a .z

In Fig. 3, the thread 6 is shown in that position within the balloon in which the running strand has swung inwardly against, and is moving in a direction lengthwise with respect to, the surface |6 or the edg I? both of which extend (as shown) transversely with respect to the axis of the support |2.; However, theelernent l8 has a pointed portion H! which extends away from the surface [6 to form a small region therebetween in which a thread may be trapped while, moving in the lateral direction withrespect to its length indicated by the arrow. As the takeup means continues to pull the strand 6, it becomes wedged tightly between-the element .18

and the surface [6, and eitherbreaks or provides the tension which operates an automatic stopping mechanism (not shown).

In Fig. is illustrated a further embodiment of the invention in which the strand fi traverses the balloon 6b and passes through a ring element 2! positioned near the apex-of the balloon and a guide element -23 from a package being. unwound to a take-up device (not shown) in the direction of the arrow. The guide element-. 23

is split at; 24. tofacilitate the lacing 1 thereof.

.To provide a spring catch forholding the member in a desiredposition relative to the ring 2|, the member may be made of afiexible. material and provided with a pin 29 on its. surface. in engagement with the ring surfacev for extending into apertures or depressions '30 along the inner surface of the ring. By:this arr-angement,-the member 25. may be positioned in. onetdireotion or the other to trap strand traversing thering 2| in either circumferential direction. The surface of the guide 23, normally traversed-by the strand, is preferably approximately centered-over the ring 2|. Thering ,2| is preferably circular although it may take a moderately out-of-round contour such as an oval shape, if desired.

In the production of rayon cakes, for example, the direction of twist in the yarn, i. e. 2 01 S, is determined bythe direction in which the spinning bucket is rotated. Although-the direction of twist cannot be thereafter changed by the manner in which the strand is unwound from the package, the direction of twist alwayscorresponds to the direction-of the windings within the cake when the cake is supported in an unwinding position in the same axial orientation as when it was formed. When anumber of,cal es are unwound and a specific orientationis maintained with respect to that established within thespinning. buckets, a strand-trapping device such as one as, thosev hereinabove described nay be employed when setin the position corresponding to an unwanted direction of twist. the use of the invention the yarnmaybe unwound from the interior or; the exterior of a cake or other annular package preferably inunvar-ying axial orientation with respect to that of; their formation: so that the ?and,o.f.- the wrongviwist unwinds from packages thereof .in. andirectio'n 4 which causes it to be trapped by the apparatus herein described.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention-as definedin the appended claims.

I claim: 1 1. A strand guiding and arresting device in combination with a support for an annular wound package, said device being axially spaced from the support beyond a region occupied by a package. when restingon said support and comprising an annular member positioned approximately able element attached to the inner surface of themember, pivotal means for attaching the element to the member, said element being rotatable: through approximately; degrees with respect. to the. said inner surface between ,two

operatingpositions, said element in either position extending laterally with respect to the axis ofthe support and inwardly from the inner surface of the member to form a generally Veshaped opening therebetweenthe end of said ielement atthe large end of the opening being positioned to trap the strand betweenthe element and. the member when the: strand is moving laterally in one direction with respect to its .length and to slidably engage thestrand du ring movement of Strand in the opposite direction,.and detent means for holding the;elern ent in-either position.

. 2. In combination, a strand guiding and arresting device, a support for an annular. wound package, said device being generally ,axially spaced from the supportand comprising a strand guiding surface, an. elementattached to, and ,ex-

support and at. ananglewith the second-named surface to form a V.-shaped opening therebetween having its width increasing in a direction which extends transversely with respect to the axis, the end of said elemental; .the large endof. theopening being positioned to trap the strandbetween the elementand the second-named surface when the strand. is movinglaterally inone direction with respect to itslength and to slidably. engage the strand .during movement thereofin=theopposite direction,

- 3..In. combination, a strand-guiding and arresting device, a support for an annular wound strand package, said .device being axially spaced from thesup'port beyond a region occupied by apackage when restingon the support and-comprising. astrand guidingv surface, an element attached to, and extending from, asurface of the device facing toward the-axis of the support and disposed between the strand guiding surface and the support, said element extendinglaterally with, respect. .to the axis of ,the support andat an angle. from thesecond-named surface .to form any-shaped opening therebetweenhaving. its width increasing. in. a direction whichfexten'ds transversely. with respect. to the axis, the. end of said element at the large end of the opening being. positioned. to, trap the strand .between. the element. and -.the..second-.named surface. when the strand is moving laterally in one direction with respect to its length and to slidably engage the strand during movement thereof in the opposite direction.

4. In combination, a strand guiding and arresting device, a support for an annular wound strand package, said device being axially spaced from the support beyond a region occupied by a package resting on the support and comprising a strand guiding surface, an element attached to, and extending from, a surface of the device facing toward the support axis and disposed between the strand guiding surface and the support, said element extending laterally with respect to the axis of the support at an angle from the second-named surface to form a V-shaped opening therebetween having its width increasing in a direction which extends transversely with respect to the axis, the element and the secondnamed surface being joined at a small angle to provide positive seizure of the strand within the opening therebetween, the end of said element at the large end of the opening being positioned to trap a strand when the strand is moving laterally in one direction with respect to its length and to slidably engage the strand during movement thereof in the opposite direction.

5. In combination, a strand guiding and arresting device, a support for an annular wound strand package, said device being axially spaced from the support beyond a region occupied by a package when resting on the support and comprising a strand-guiding surface extending transversely and centrally over the support, an element attached to, and extending from, a surface of the device facing toward the support axis and disposed between the strand-guiding surface and the support, said element extending laterally with respect to the axis of the support and at an angle from the second-named surface to form a V-shaped opening therebetween having its width increasing in a direction which extends transversely with respect to the axis, the end of said element at the large end of the opening being positioned to trap the strand between the element and the second-named surface when the strand is moving laterally in one direction with respect to its length and to slidably engage the strand during movement thereof in the opposite direction.

6. In combination, a strand guiding and arresting device, a support for an annular wound strand package, said device being axially spaced from the support beyond a region occupied by a package when resting on the support and comprising a guide having a strand-guiding surface, a swingable element, a pivotal means for attaching the element to a guide, said element being swingable between two positions approximately 180 degrees apart, and when disposed in either position, extending from a surface of the guide facing toward the support axis and dis- 6 posed between the strand-guiding surface and the support, said element when in either position extending transversely with respect to the of the support and at an angle from the guide to form a V-shaped opening therebetween, the end of said element at the large end of the opening being positioned to trap the strand between the element and the guide when the strand is moving laterally in one direction with respect to its length and to slidably engage the strand during movement of the strand in the opposite direction, and detent means for holding the element in either position.

7. In combination, a unitary strand guiding thread arresting device, a support for an annular wound strand package comprising an arm pivctably adjustable with respect to a supporting means therefore and having a substantially straight elongate rounded strand-guiding surface spaced centrally from the support beyond a region occupied by a package when resting' on the support, said strand-guiding surface extending transversely to the axis of the support, a swingable element attached to a surface of the device facing in a direction extending toward and away from the support axis and disposed between the strand-guiding surface and the support, pivotal means for securing the element to said second-named surface, said element being rotatable through substantially a half circle between two operating positions, said element in either of the positions extending transversely with respect to the axis of the support and at an angle from the second-named surface to form a narrow v-shaped opening therebetween having its width increasing in a direction which is lateral with respect to the axis, spring catch means comprising interlocking portions provided on the guide and the element for securing the element in either position, the end of said element at the large end of the opening being positioned in either position of the element to trap the strand between the element and the second-named surface when the strand is moving laterally in one direction with respect to its length and to slidably engage the strand during movement thereof in the opposite direction.

HUGH E. HAYS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 320,788 Hopkins June 23, 1885 347,804 Hubbard Aug. 24, 1886 462,622 Cate Nov. 3, 1891 579,461 Yeakel Mar. 23, 1897 1,029,399 Rand June 11., 1912 2,163,711 Selvig June 27, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 4,621 Great Britain of 1906 

